


Kidnapped

by InsaneHam



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Cheating, Children, Coma, Escape, F/M, Gun Violence, Hospitals, Hypothermia, Kidnapping, Lawyers, Lonely Angelica, Mental Link, Modern Era, Organized Crime, Police, Pregnancy, References to Drugs, Swing Set, Uncle John - Freeform, Unhealthy Relationships, forgetful, parks, warrant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-27 22:33:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16228670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneHam/pseuds/InsaneHam
Summary: Philip and Angie are missing, Theodosia Jr has hypothermia, Alexander is a human disaster as always, John is guilty and Peggy is a boss.How do these people coexist while they try to solve the disappearance?





	Kidnapped

**Author's Note:**

> I do not claim to know how warrants, police, lawyers, or judges work. 
> 
> I found this in the back of my Hamilton folder, and fixed it up. This is what 35 pages looks like.

“Thank you for taking Angie and Philip out, John. I think they’re getting a bit antsy, being cooped up all day, and I have to take care of the little ones,” Eliza said. The two adults were sitting on the plush couches in the living room, waiting for Angie and Philip to clean up their shared bedroom. James and Alexander Jr were having their afternoon nap upstairs.  
“No problem. Just take it easy, okay?” John replied. “Alex might kill someone if you hurt yourself, especially now.”  
Eliza unconsciously rubbed her bulging tummy that contained their next child. Alex was always extremely worried about her pregnancy, even taking sick days to help her. That was almost unheard of for the non-stop immigrant, but it appeared that even he was trapped within the clutches of love. Today he had been roped into a meeting and forced John to look after Eliza. It wasn’t if John minded, honestly. The Hamilton's were his favourite family.  
“It has been hard, looking after so many children,” Eliza admitted wistfully, fingering the soft fabric. “I sometimes wish that I could take a break.”  
“Eliza, make sure not to overwork yourself. We’ve already got a workaholic,” John joked. Eliza snorted.  
“Truly, sometimes I think I have another child and not a husband,” she replied dryly. They burst into laughter.  
“Mom! We’re ready!” Philip yelled, practically leaping down the stairs. He was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. With his curly hair, freckles, and blinding grin, he looked like a miniature John. Angelica Jr followed, though she took it one step at a time. She was wearing a simple skirt with a sky blue top, and took after Eliza. They both shared the same striking violet-blue eyes which was inherited from their father.  
“Philip, please be quiet or you might wake your brothers,” Eliza lightly reminded. Philip nodded, and continued in a dramatically hushed voice.  
“Uncle John is taking us, right?”  
John wasn’t biologically their Uncle, but he may as well have been. He was their godfather, and dropped by almost every weekend. The pair loved him, begging their mother for another camping trip and crying when he had to leave. There was once when they hid in Uncle John’s car so they could stick around him. Needless to say, it did not go over well with their mother.  
“That’s right,” John confirmed. Philip let out a silent cheer. Uncle John was fun and let them do many of the things their mother scolded them for, like climbing trees. Speaking of trees...  
“Let’s go to the park!” Philip decided, eyes shining with excitement.  
John turned to Angie. One thing Angie loved about Uncle John was that he didn’t automatically assume that Angie wanted to go along with whatever Philip said. Even their mother occasionally made that mistake. Though they did agree about many things, the siblings did have their differences. Angie was just slower than Philip at voicing her opinions.  
“How about you, Angie?”  
Angie nodded, agreeing with Philip’s idea. It was a beautiful day outside with few clouds and a gentle breeze ruffling the trees. The sun shone down, making everything seem bright and happy.  
“Ok then, let’s go!”  
The two kids and one fun Uncle dashed out the door.  
“Be safe!” Eliza called after them, smiling in amusement. Little did she know how much they would need it.

* * *

Both John and Philip were extremely fast, and Angie had a hard time keeping up with them. She arrived long after they had started socializing with the other children. Panting with the exertion, she scanned the park for her brother. Her heart sank. The two males were already playing a game of tag with some other neighbourhood children. As she looked around the playground, anxiety settled in her stomach. She had never been the best at making friends. Usually she joined up with Philip, but she didn’t want to interrupt his game, and she knew she couldn’t catch up to him anyway. Instead of approaching anyone, she decided to swing by herself. All alone.  
“Angie!”  
Angie twisted in her seat to see Theodosia the Second, or just Theo, calling up to her. Theo looked just like her passed mom except for her eyes, which she got from her father. Angie remembered Theodosia the First fondly. She gave out cookies and treated Angie kindly. Theo was quite nice as well, but Angie never really spoke with her. She was one of the popular kids, like Philip, and they argued constantly. Angie hated being around fights, and so she normally avoided her. This time Philip wasn't around. Perhaps she could get to know Theo. In one smooth move, Angie jumped off at the swings highest point, landing on her feet. Theo applauded.  
“Wow, how did you do that?” Theo asked admiringly. Angie gave her a shy smile.  
“I practiced.” This wasn’t the first time Angie had been left to her own devices.  
“That’s so cool! Can you teach me?”  
“Of course!” Angie beamed, excited at the prospect of helping someone. Maybe Theo could even become her friend! They sat on the swings and slowly gained altitude.  
The first thing Angie noticed was that Theo talked a lot, especially about law and politics. Thankfully, Angie was used to this, as Philip and her father adored this topic. Unlike Philip, Theo waited patiently for Angie to gather her thoughts and slowly answer the questions. Usually her father overrode her, a habit that her brother was unfortunately adapting. But Theo didn't have that problem. It was nice. Hopefully her father would be able to look past his grudge and let Angie play with Theo. Even as she thought it, she knew it was unlikely. Her father’s pride was unmatched by anyone she had ever met. Philip probably wouldn't be too happy about it either…  
“Angie? Are you okay?”  
Angie snapped out of her thoughts and looked backwards at Theo. She was… concerned? Angie wasn't too good at reading expressions. As they swang by each other, Theo continued,  
“You looked pretty out of it. Did I do anything?”  
“No,” Angie instantly assured. “I was… just thinking about… my brother.”  
Theo lit up.  
“You have a brother? Cool! I wish I had a sibling. That would be fun! We would be the best of friends.”  
“I have three.”  
“Three!” Theo gasped, as if Angie had just told her nuclear codes. “Wow! I just have my dad. Though he’s really amazing! He’s a lawyer.”  
She finished with a distinct note of pride. Angie knew her father and Theo’s resented each other. If Theo realized Angie was a Hamilton, would she still want to be her friend? Deciding to let Theo continue on about her father, Angie stayed silent.  
“He's amazing! He has so many allies and works really hard, but he spends time with me. He really loves me.”  
Angie winced. Her father did love her, she knew that, but he hardly gave her the time of day. Philip was always the shining star. Everyone paid attention to him. Though Angie truly loved her brother, she occasionally wished to be an only child. To have the undivided attention of her parents.  
“He even got me a cell phone. Look!”  
Theo held up a bright purple phone with a teddy bear charm. They slowed down, and Theo passed it into Angie’s waiting hands. Angie marvelled at the beautiful, sophisticated object. This was an expensive model, and a lot of responsibility. Theo practically glowed with pride.  
“My father got me that for my birthday! He said that I'm responsible now and that I should have a phone.”  
“It’s amazing,” Angie agreed, passing the treasured item back. Theo cradled it as if it were a baby before slipping it back into her pocket.  
“When do you think you'll get a phone? Maybe we could exchange numbers!”  
Before Angie could answer George Eaker spotted and ran up to them, face slightly flushed.  
“Theo! You’re just in time! We’re playing manhunt now! Do you want to play?”  
“Of course!” Theo agreed, bolting off towards the group of children. George was about to follow when Angie grabbed his sleeve. She struggled to find her words, and George spoke first.  
“What do you want?”  
“I...I...,” Angie stuttered out. Her grip tightened. How she wished her brother was beside her. He would know what to say.  
“Hurry it up, I don’t have all day.”  
She mustered up her courage.  
“Can I play too?”  
“No. Go away, loser.” With that, he shook his arm free and took off after Theo. Angie was left alone again. Her eyes filled up with tears, and she turned away and walked off.

* * *

George caught up with Theo, who was in the middle of a heated argument with Philip. Every time they met, they were determined to prove that their father was superior. All the others gathered in a circle around them, watching in awe as the children of the two bitter rivals argued with each other.  
“My dad came up with a new genius financial plan!”  
“My dad is friends with Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Madison!”  
“My dad is  
with Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Madison!”  
“My dad has no enemies!”  
“My dad has hundreds!”  
“My dad is a democratic republican!”  
“My dad is a federalist!”  
“My dad knows a whole bunch of people!”  
“So does mine!”  
“My dad works really hard!”  
“My dad stays up for 4 days straight without sleeping at least twice a month!”  
“Oh… I’m sorry,” Theo apologized, taken aback. This was the first time either of them had ever admitted a weakness.  
“No, it's my fault. I started it,” Philip replied, flushing.  
“Truce?” Theo tentatively held out her hand. Philip shook it.  
“Truce.”  
George just stood to the side, having absolutely no idea what was going on. This was the first time he had ever witnessed the fights. Theo finally noticed him and looked over his shoulder as if expecting to see someone.  
“George, where’s Angie?”  
“Oh, that loser? She ran away after I told her she couldn’t play.” George pointed into the woods, presumably in the direction Angie had gone off in.  
“How could you say that?” Theo gasped.  
“She’s a loner. She has no friends.”  
“Shut up, George,” Philip gritted out, fists clenching. Neither Theo nor George was aware that Angie was Philip’s sister. They didn’t look alike at all, and their personalities couldn’t be more different. Still, there was no question over Philip’s protectiveness.  
“No one was talking to her. Aww, did you forget to look after that crybaby?”  
Theo snapped, moving forward as if to yell at him, but Philip got there first. In an instant, he tackled George into the ground and hit him with all the strength in his tiny body. George’s head snapped to the side, a large red imprint on his cheek. He started bawling instantly.  
“What happened?” John asked, running over. Philip took off in the general direction of where George had pointed and Theo followed, leaving John to deal with an injured, crying child on his own.

* * *

Water flowed freely in the stream, never stopping. Sunlight glinted off the water, casting odd reflections. Angie sat on the bridge overlooking the stream, her legs swinging with the wind. Tears welled in her violet blue eyes as she watched all the fishes swim by. They were different colours, and they all swam in the direction of the current.  
If I were a fish, Angie thought, I would be swimming against the current.  
She never was able to fit in the way the rest of the children did. The way Philip did. She didn’t understand how to interact properly with others. A memory came to her; something her namesake aunt had said to Angie when she was little. Her intimidating, sociable, perfect aunt who Angie admired more with every passing day had also been crying when she had sung.  
“The moment when you’re in so deep, it feels easier to just swim down,” Angie sang softly. Somehow, it made her feel better, and she stood up, wiping her eyes. If she didn’t get back soon, Uncle John would be worried.  
“Hello little girl.”  
Angie turned to see a thin, dirty stranger standing in front of her. He had blond hair and pale skin. She racked her mind for appropriate replies and finally hit on one.  
“Hello!”  
The man smiled, baring his teeth, and a chill ran down Angie’s back. Why? Smiling was good, right?  
“What’s your name?”  
“Angelica, but everyone calls me Angie,” she blurted out. His smile only grew larger.  
“Hamilton?”  
“That's my last name. How did you know?”  
He avoided the question.  
“Well, Angie, would you like a candy?”  
He held out a chocolate and Angie licked her lips. She loved chocolate, and this was her favourite kind. She looked back up at the man, considering.  
“No thank you!”  
“What? Why?” he asked, confused.  
“Because, mister, you look hungry. It wouldn’t be right if I took it; it’s your candy.”  
“But I’m giving it to you.”  
“You need it more than me. Please, mister, eat it yourself. I would feel terrible if you went hungry.”  
The dirty man looked with disbelieving eyes at her innocent face. He finally put the candy in his back pocket, and continued,  
“Angie, would you like to come on a car ride with me?”  
“No, mister, my mom told me not to follow strangers, and you need to save on gas. That’s what my dad says!”  
The man just stared at Angie for a long moment.  
“How can you…?”  
“How can I what?” Angie asked. The stranger shook his head and sighed. They watched the fishies in the stream for a while, though the stranger appeared to be fidgeting. What was wrong?  
“The truth is, Angie,” he began, rubbing his hands together, “my daughter died recently, and you look just like her.”  
Tears, again, welled up in Angie’s eyes, but they were not for herself this time. It was for the poor stranger, who must be feeling awful, and his daughter.  
“I’m sorry mister,” she said sorrowfully.  
“Samuel,” he blurted out unthinkingly, then slapped a hand over his mouth. “I mean, don’t call me that, just- never mind.”  
“Samuel?” Angie asked.  
Samuel ran a hand over his face, which must be from the sadness of his daughter’s death.  
“As I said, you remind me of her, and I was thinking I could have dinner with my daughter again, but… if you can’t I understand.”  
Angie couldn’t let Samuel go alone after that. She knew what it felt to be alone too, and she didn’t even have a dead daughter yet. She guessed the closest would be if her older brother died and mentally winced as she pictured that.  
“I’ll go.”  
“Good. Get in the car.”  
Samuel pointed at a black SUV with a missing license plate. The sudden gruffness of his tone surprised her, but she supposed it was because of his daughter. She started to follow his instructions when a voice stopped her.  
“What are you doing?”  
Angie turned to her brother, who was angrily glaring at Samuel, eyes flashing. Samuel quickly looked between them, evidently confused, which was understandable. They didn’t look alike at all, except for their eyes. When Samuel didn’t respond, Angie decided to help him.  
“Samuel lost his daughter, who looks like me. We’re going to have dinner together.”  
Philip gave Samuel the same look their mother did when they were caught in a lie. Samuel started squirming uncomfortably, feeling like a child who had just been caught with their hand in the cookie jar.  
“Who is this?” Samuel blustered, pointing.  
“My brother, Philip.”  
“Come on, Angie. We’re leaving.”  
Philip grabbed Angie’s hand and proceeded to drag her away.  
“But Philip!” Angie struggled in his grasp. “What about his daughter?”  
“You don’t beli-”  
A new man, hair flipped to one side and wearing gloves, jumped out of the forest at lightning speed and smashed Philip’s head against a tree. Angie watched in horror as Philip dropped to the ground with a yelp of pain. Blood began to trickle down his head. She had to get to him; to help. She could physically feel the pain the her brother was going through; the throbbing of his head. Tears dripped down her cheeks as she reached for him.  
Samuel restrained her, wrapping his arms around her small body. She kicked and yelled, but Samuel would not let go. He even muzzled her with his hand.  
“Charles! King said no violence!”  
“King also said not to get spotted,” Charles retorted. “Would you have just let them go?”  
“No,” Samuel muttered reluctantly, “but there must've been something else we could do.”  
“Tell me when you think of one,” Charles replied, pulling out a pistol out of his jacket and pointing it at the defenceless Philip.  
“NO!”  
Angie bit Samuel’s hand, forcing him to loosen his grip. She flew over and threw herself in front of Philip, shielding him.  
“Run away, Angie,” Philip groaned out. Even as the words came out of his mouth, he knew his sister would never listen.  
“Charles, King didn’t give you a silencer!” Samuel hissed, nursing his hand.  
“Get out of the way,” Charles ordered coldly, ignoring Samuel’s warning. Angie stared down the barrel of the gun unflinchingly. They were in a sort of standoff until a new voice broke the silence.  
“Get that gun off them, or I call the cops.”  
Theo stood on the other end of the bridge, holding up her new bright purple cell phone, number already dialed. She was shaking but she stood her ground even as the gun pointed at her.  
“And what if I shoot you?” Charles asked humorlessly.  
“Go ahead,” Theo replied steadily. “You’ll just call everyone within a 5 mile radius to witness your murder scene.”  
The kidnappers seemed like they were in a bad position, being outnumbered three to two. Granted, the three were children and one was lying down, unable to even lift his head. That changed when another man, hat shadowing his features, popped out of the trees and smacked Theo’s cell out of her hand. She made a distressed sound as it skidded away. The hat man then proceeded to push her into the river.  
“THEO!” the Hamilton siblings shouted into unison. With a squeal, Theo sunk below the water. Angie turned, furious, and lunged at Charles. Distracted by his partner pushing a child into the water, Angie was able to knock him over, causing him to drop his gun. It skidded into the tall grass. Cursing, Charles pushed Angie off him. Samuel hurriedly picked her up and threw her into the trunk. The man who had knocked Theo into the river chucked Philip on top of her before slamming the trunk closed. The siblings squirmed into a more comfortable position before hearing the argument breaking out outside.  
“Reynolds, King said to only grab the girl!” Seabury exclaimed.  
“Don't worry about it, Samuel,” the man, now known as Reynolds, replied languidly, as if hadn't just kidnapped two children and attacked another. “Didn't you hear?”  
“The only thing I want to hear is that girl, Angelica, is dead,” Charles growled. “Can't we just beat them up a bit before the exchange?”  
Angie shrank back in fear. Philip placed a reassuring hand on her arm, silently promising to protect her. As long as he could still breathe no one was going to hurt his little sister.  
“Charles, King told us not to hurt them. That goes for you too, Reynolds,” Samuel lectured. As far as kidnappers went, Samuel was definitely one of Angie’s favourites.  
“Yes, yes,” Reynolds replied dismissively, as if it were of no real importance. “But the girl said that it was her brother. More bartering chips.”  
“I'm for shooting them both and leaving here,” Charles sneered.  
“Charles!”  
“What Sammy? The girl bit you and tackled me! The boy almost ruined our plan! Aren't you even slightly angry?”  
“Calm down, Charles. Don't let these children get in your head,” Reynolds said. “Here’s a chance for more leverage.”  
“I still think that we should stick to King’s original plan,” Samuel mumbled.  
“Come on, Samuel. Have some ambition! Here’s a chance to earn extra cash! It'll all go over well, you'll see,” Reynolds pressed. There was a brief moment of silence; Samuel pondering over the decision. Sensing that Samuel was teetering to his side Reynolds added,  
“If we only take the girl then we'll have to shoot the boy. And there was to be no unnecessary bloodshed, right?”  
A spike of fear went through the siblings. Angie hoped Samuel wouldn’t decide to kill her brother because she bit him.  
“...fine. Let's just get them to your house,” Samuel conceded.  
The three kidnappers got in the SUV and revved up the engine. Soon the Hamilton siblings could feel it moving. Philip would usually be raging, as he was quick to anger, kicking at the confined space, but instead he laid silently.  
“Philip?” Angie asked, worry evident in her voice.  
“I'm fine Angie. I just have a little headache,” Philip groaned. In all honesty, his head was killing him, but saying that would only made Angie panic more.  
Angie curled up, sniffling. Guilt ate away at her. Their mom had told her not to talk to strangers. Now, because of her, Philip was hurt, Theo might've drowned, and-  
“It's not your fault Angie,” Philip interrupted from his corner, somehow knowing what Angie was thinking. “Don't cry.”  
“But I got you kidnapped.”  
“Angie, you made a mistake. Besides, it was my choice to jump in. You would've done the same.”  
There was no question about that.  
“What if they-”  
“They won't kill us. They're using us.”  
“Using us?” Angie sniffled.  
“Yeah. As a ‘bartering chip’.”  
Angie replayed the conversation in her head. Yes, Reynolds had said that they were going to get more leverage from capturing Philip too. She calmed down slightly, realizing that the kidnapping wasn't entirely her fault. If this was preplanned, they probably would have been abducted even if she had stayed in the park.  
“Against who?”  
“That I don't know,” Philip grimaced.  
“Maybe papa?” Angie suggested. “He says he's New York City's best lawyer. Maybe they want him to take up a case.”  
“Maybe,” Philip agreed. “Pops took me to work once. He is really amazing. With him on their team the client would be guaranteed a win.”  
Bragging about fathers suddenly reminded Angie of Theo. Her mind locked on one thought.  
“What about Theo?” Her voice trembled. “What if she-"  
“No. Theo can swim.” Philip prayed that was true. Luckily, Angie believed him, relaxing visibly. Philip remembered he had a tiny flashlight in his pocket, from Aunt Angelica and flicked it on. The light made both of them feel better and Philip suddenly had an innovative idea.  
“Angie, this is like a video game.”  
“A video game?”  
She sounded interested.  
“Yeah, like an… escape room. A kidnapping game.”  
Angie perked up. She loved escape rooms. They both did, in fact, spending a lot of time honing their spy skills. The kidnappers had chosen the wrong pair of siblings to take.  
“Sort of like that movie we watched about kids who escaped their kidnappers,” Philip continued. Angie instantly started thinking. Now that this was a game, instead of real life, she could settle her nerves and focus.  
“Gauge the situation,” Philip prompted. He was usually the leader of the operation, being the oldest.  
“We're in the back of a SUV. The bad guys are driving towards Reynolds, one of the kidnappers’, house. Another bad guy is King, but he was only mentioned. We're going to be used as leverage,” Angie replied.  
“Objective?”  
“Escape.”  
“Let's look around.”  
The trunk was mostly empty, except for a couple of fairly clean rags, which they used wrap Philip’s still bleeding head. The exit over the seats was blocked with a metal grate neither of them could dislodge. Philip looked for a lever that would open the trunk, but there was none. That only existed on newer models, and this was an old car. Instead, he pulled back a panel allowing to Angie kick off the brake light. Hopefully whoever saw it would understand they were signalling for help.  
“Angie, pass me your hair pin.”  
Angie’s hand went up to her hair. Eliza had spent a lot of time doing Angie’s hair this morning, and used the birthday gift she had given Angie. A one of a kind barrette studded with jewels. The blue barrette was important, not because of its enormous expense, but because her mom had given it to her.  
“Why?” she asked defensively.  
“We're going to leave clues behind.”  
“Sort of like Hansel and Gretel? With the bread crumbs?”  
“Yeah. Your hair pin is unique, so it'll be a huge clue if the police find it.”  
Angie reluctantly took the hair pin out and shoved it through the open panel. It clinked as it hit the concrete. In a few moments the car left the sparkling barrette far behind. She hoped her mom wouldn't be angry that she had lost it. 

* * *

Angie’s mom, Eliza, rocked her baby James back and forth in her rocking chair, whispering soothing words. She couldn't help but smile as she looked into her baby’s face, at how peaceful and innocent it was. James was a handful, throwing things and yelling, but she loved him just the same. Plus, it taught her to treasure these rare moments of silence, to understand just how much of a blessing it was.  
In contrast, her other son Alexander Jr or just Andy (so as to not get him mixed up with his father) was a quiet boy who looked just like Alexander but had her bright blue eyes. Currently napping upstairs, he loved delving and immersing himself in books. He had always insisted Eliza read to him at bedtime, before learning himself. Eliza longed to read to him again, but she understood that she had to let go. If she constantly shielded him then he would never grow. Andy was currently fixed on fantasy novels, the kind which makes you feel as though you had been whisked to another world. Alexander was hoping he’d get into law and politics; become a mini him. She earnestly hoped he wouldn't. Alexander spent so much time away from home nowadays, barely giving her the time of day. Even when she was pregnant, there was always some important business to attend to. She didn't want her son to have such an exhausting job.  
Philip and Angie were another story. They were both smart, read books as if they couldn't bear a second without them, and were brilliant, curious children who loved the outdoors. Philip was social, easily making friends and fitting in with the group. He chatted away about anything that caught his interest, much like Alexander, and was an excellent debater for his age. He was kind but quick to lose his temper; reckless in a way only little boys can be. Meanwhile, Angie was quiet, reserved and had issues with making friends. She thought things over carefully, but because of this she had difficulty keeping up her end of the conversation. The boys in her family usually just steamrolled over her without hesitation. Angie also tended to be extremely sympathetic and kind, believing anything given to her, but was also prone to emotional breakdowns if anything went wrong. Instead of fighting, she usually had to hold Philip back, stopping him from fighting her battles.  
Somehow, as different as they might be, the two got along famously. Philip invited Angie along in his games, while Angie trusted him limitlessly. Even though it didn’t seem like a big deal, it was really hard for Angie to trust someone after they had broken it. The closer the person was, the more it hurt when they let you down, and the worse Angie felt. While it might be okay for a stranger, her family had to walk on eggshells. When her father had missed her piano recital after promising he’d be there, it was a full month before Angie even spoke to him again. While other moms were trying to make their children apologize to each other, Philip and Angie helped each other through their obstacles. They were even closer than she was to them. Other mothers asked her for advice, but Eliza could never really understand the close bond they had. They could tell if their counterpart was hurt from a mile away, and occasionally even read each other's minds. It was like those telepathic twins she'd heard so much about.  
Eliza hoped they would never grow apart. Angie relied on Philip for emotional support, while Philip required Angie’s calmer, analytical mind to keep him from exploding. Together, they made the perfect team. Apart, they were bound to break.  
The clock chimed, making Eliza look up. She frowned as she read the time. 7 o’clock. Come to think of it, Philip and Angie should've been home thirty minutes ago. Eliza placed James into his crib and picked up the phone.

* * *

John had a hectic day. After Philip had run off, he had tried to calm George down, but to no avail. He had looked around for his parents, only to discover they had gone off somewhere. Who leaves their child alone at a public park?  
So he had taken George to the doctor's office, where John was told that the boy needed to go to a hospital. The hit wasn't too bad, but the fall had caused a terrible sprain in his left ankle. John sped, still calling around to see if he could find anyone who knew the Eaker’s number and listening to George deafening din.  
Once he had arrived at the hospital, he explained to the staff what had happened. They told him that he needed to stay in the waiting room. After two minutes, he finally found the Eaker’s number from Peggy. Calling them was not the greatest idea of his life. They screamed at John for half an hour over the phone before arriving and screaming at him some more. As you can imagine, John was pretty irritated. When his phone rang, he tried to stay cool.  
“Yes?” he snapped. There was a pause.  
“Are you alright, John? You don't sound too pleased,” Eliza’s gentle voice came over the phone. John could feel his anger fading.  
“Sorry, Eliza, I’ve just had to deal with the angry Eakers. They ditched their child at the park, Philip hit him, and they've been screaming their head off at me for the past hour.”  
“Wait, Philip hit him?”  
“Yeah, I thought it was odd too. I think the boy provoked Philip.”  
“Ah. That makes sense. Philip has always prided himself on his father’s legacy.”  
“Maybe that's it.”  
“Speaking of which, where is Philip and Angie? They were supposed to be back home thirty minutes ago.”  
“Well, Philip is - damn!” he almost swore, but Eliza had forbidden him, lest the children pick it up.  
“What's wrong?” Her worried voice came over the phone.  
“I - how could I have been so stupid?” He made a mad rush for the car.  
“What is it?!” Eliza was beginning to sound panicked.  
“I left them Eliza! I forgot! I left them at the park! How could I have done that? I’m no better than the Eakers!”  
John climbed onto his car and turned on the ignition.  
“John.”  
He swallowed nervously, ready for the verbal beration that was sure to come.  
“It's alright. You did what about anyone else would do in your situation. I don't blame you in the slightest.”  
“Really?” John asked, again dumbfounded as to how anyone could be so kind.  
“Yes. I'm sure Philip and Angelica are alright. They're smart children.”  
“You're right,” he agreed, calming down.  
“I'll tell you what. If you can get the children home before Alexander gets back, then we'll call it even.”  
John snorted. Alexander was known for having to be physically dragged home every night. He wondered how Alexander could work so hard.  
“Okay. Thanks, Eliza.”  
“Don't mention it. Goodbye, John. Drive safely.”  
“Bye, Eliza.”  
Now calm, he left for the park, slowly moving through heavy traffic. If John knew where Philip and Angie was he would've rushed through, not caring about causing an accident. When he arrived he saw an anxious Aaron looking around the park.  
“Aaron!” he greeted, approaching the fidgeting man.  
Aaron turned, and John got his first good look at a panicked Aaron. His expression was beyond terrified, not even bothering to plaster on his fake smile. If John had been given a few more seconds he would have assumed the apocalypse had begun.  
“John. Have you seen Theodosia? I can't seem to find her. What if she's kidnapped? She's not answering her phone. She's usually very good at things like this, and I know she charged it before she left. She's never lost her phone before, and she always picks up. Her curfew was an hour ago and-" Aaron rambled.  
“Whoa Aaron, slow down!” John exclaimed. Aaron must be very worried for him to talk so much. Aaron took several deep breaths, trying to get himself under control.  
“I'm sorry. I just can't seem to find her,” Aaron apologized, voice cracking.  
“Hey, hey, no worries. I’m looking for Philip and Angie. Maybe they're all playing together.”  
Aaron visibly calmed.  
“Perhaps.”  
“I saw Philip and Theo go this way.”  
John and Aaron followed the winding forest path and arrived at a small clearing. There was a small bridge over a deep river. The gorge was too high for a child to climb out of. On the other side was a road, cars zooming past every so often. Aaron and John looked around, but there was really nothing to see on this side of the bridge.  
“Aha!” John picked a bright purple cell phone out of the grass. Aaron snatched it from his hands and dusted it off.  
“It's Theo’s,” he confirmed, head swiveling about. “She must be around here somewhere.”  
“I doubt it, Aaron. There's nowhere to hide but the forest.”  
John was proven wrong when they heard a distressed whimper come up from the river. They both dashed towards it to see Theo holding on to a large rock for dear life. She had been in the shadow of the bridge, and so had not been spotted until she had make the noncommittal sound. The cold current was trying to pull her away, but she somehow held on, even after she had fallen unconscious.  
“THEODOSIA!” Aaron cried.  
Before John could stop him he had jumped into the river. This was likely the stupidest move John had ever seen Aaron commit. Neither if them knew how deep the water was nor the currents strength. Now Aaron could be in danger of drowning with Theo. Usually, Aaron was the voice of reason, stopping John and his gang from killing themselves or getting into trouble. This time, his daughter was in danger and all Aaron’s common sense had flown out the window.  
Aaron landed with a splash, paddling towards his daughter. He pried her fingers off the rock, wrapped her in one arm, then swam for shore. He lifted the girl to John, who set her gently down on the ground. Aaron was up a moment later, holding Theo’s hand. Tears filled his eyes. This must be all too similar to when his wife had died of cancer.  
John checked Theo’s pulse and breathing. Aaron waited anxiously for John’s report. John lifted his head to Aaron and smiled.  
“She's okay. No serious injuries.”  
Aaron started crying and hugged his child. Since Aaron was not prone to emotional outbreaks and might crash the car if he drove, John decided to take them to the hospital. Theo, despite having no serious injuries had likely developed hypothermia as she had stayed in a freezing river for hours, and someone needed to look after Aaron and make sure he didn't do anything stupid.  
Aaron climbed into the backseat of John’s car and hugged Theo, trying to warm her frozen body. John stayed in the front, preparing to explain to a hospital why he had a second injured child to deliver. He had completely forgotten about Angie and Philip.

* * *

“Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf,” Philip recited, intentionally blending seven and eight together.  
“Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf,” Angie repeated, giggling. Philip couldn't help but smile. He loved seeing his sister happy, even if he had to act like a fool to do it. The car screeched to a halt. Philip quickly switched off his flashlight and stuffed it into his pocket.  
“I'm going in first. You two can deal with the kids,” Reynolds said. There were a few moments of grumbling and footsteps approaching them before-  
“The backlight is broken,” Samuel observed.  
“It must be those two kids!” Charles raged. “Wait until I get my hands on them, those little twats!”  
The trunk opened, revealing a furious Charles. Philip moved in front of his sister, protecting her from this man’s rage despite his injured state. Luckily, Samuel intervened.  
“Charles, wait.”  
Samuel moved in front of the trunk. Charles tried to push him out of the way, but he held firm. Impressive, considering Samuel was basically a stick compared to Charles.  
“Those brats could have ruined our plan! They could still get us caught!” Charles growled.  
“All the same, Charles, King said not to hurt them.”  
Charles seemed to surrender at the mention of King. Perhaps he was their leader?  
“Fine, Sammy. Let's just get them inside before they do anymore damage."  
They were picked up and carried to the house. Angie chose to go with Charles, knowing that her brother would struggle and make this man angry. He couldn't handle that with his current injury. At least Samuel wasn’t as eager to fight as Charles. She laid limply in Charles’ arms, afraid to fight back and incur his wrath.  
Meanwhile, Philip refused to give up and tried to wriggle out of Samuel’s grasp. Samuel tried with all his might to contain the little boy, but Philip refused to cooperate. Finally, Charles pulled out a switchblade and pointed it at Angie.  
“If you don't stop that, squirt, I'll make sure your sister will have a permanent reminder,” he sneered. Angie let out a small whimper of fear as the blade raked against her skin. Philip allowed himself to be carried without protest, though Angie could tell he was boiling inside. They were chucked into the basement, the door slammed and locked behind them.  
Philip smashed himself against the door, but with no success. It was a large, iron door, which made them think that the kidnappers had planned this out. Angie inspected the doorknob, but found that the bad guys had half melted it to ensure they couldn't pick the lock. Angie sat back, defeated, while Philip kept ramming.  
“Let us out, you jerks!” Philip yelled, pounding on the iron.  
“Philip, we both know that they won’t let us out. Attacking the door will only hurt you.”  
Philip whirled around.  
“Then what do you think we should do? Just sit and wait? No, I'm going to escape!”  
He knew his anger was being misplaced, but he couldn't help it. He was angry that the men had even dared threaten his sister. Luckily, Angie knew that. It was a twin thing, except they weren't twins.  
“I'm thinking we should find another way out. Look around, look around, there's plenty here.”  
Philip paused and did as Angie said. She was right. The basement was full of stuff. He relented, switching on his flashlight.  
“Okay, let's look around.”  
They searched the basement, but it was mostly filled with furniture. Sofas, cushions, cabinets and chairs littered the room. They found a couple of mice, which scurried away as soon as they saw the humans. Angie was lucky she wasn’t squeamish or she wouldn’t have lasted a second in here. It was filthy, and their clothes got smudged with dirt. Giving up, the siblings laid on the sofa and stared at the ceiling.  
“Do you think papa will pay? He values money so much,” Angie whispered, hugging a cushion.  
“Of course pops will pay, Angie. He loves us more than money,” Philip assured.  
“You're right Philip. Why am I worried?”

* * *

Little did they know, that far, far away, Alexander was lying in one of the kidnapper’s beds, beside Reynolds’ wife. Alexander contemplated his life, wondering if he would come back yet again. He had promised himself he wouldn't, but that oath had been broken many times before. Maria Reynolds snuggled up to him, and he squeezed her tighter. She needed him; Maria was helpless without him. No matter the cost, no matter how much he had to pay, no matter how much he had to lie to his family and friends he would keep coming. Even if it broke his dear Eliza’s heart.

* * *

Eliza awoke from her brief nap by a nagging feeling something was wrong. She scanned the clock and was alarmed to see it was past midnight. First she inspected Alexander’s bedroom and office, her daily routine, to see if he had come home. No one. She called him, but she already knew it was hopeless. No one picked up. Another late night at the office it seemed. Even though she knew his work was important she couldn’t help but sigh. Eliza was suddenly struck by a thought. Where was Philip and Angie? She checked the bedroom, just in case John had snuck them up there while she was asleep, but the beds were deserted. That was it. She was putting her foot down. She dialed John again.

* * *

John had fallen asleep in the waiting room of the hospital. Theo was not waking up, but the doctor assured them she'd awaken in her own time. Still, Aaron had insisted on staying by his daughter’s side. She was the only family he had left, his wife, Theodosia, passing from cancer a couple years ago. This must be eerily familiar to him, as he had held his wife’s hand as she had passed. Theo took after her mother in both looks and personality, which might be why Aaron treasured her so much. Then again, Aaron would probably treasure any of Theodosia’s children. As Aaron sat by his daughter's bedside and gripped her hand, John thought he should leave. It was too personal. As he sat in the waiting room he had been gradually lulled to sleep.  
The phone rang, waking John from his nap. He instantly picked up, confused as to why someone would be calling so late.  
“Hello?” he yawned.  
“John, where are Philip and Angie?” Eliza’s voice held a trace of anger. John recalled the events of the day before he jumped up.  
“Oh dang, I left them there again?”  
“You left them at the park? John, I hate to scold you, but this is unacceptable. It is past midnight.”  
“I know, I'm so sorry Eliza. I'll go pick them up immediately.”  
He ran to his car and rummaged for his keys.  
“Good. Please do not do that again. I'm so worried about them. By the way, where are you right now? Is it far from the park? I don't want to keep them waiting any longer.”  
“I'm at the hospital right now.”  
“The hospital? Why?” Eliza asked in a skeptical tone. “Are you looking after the Eaker child?”  
“Well, I was going to pick them up, but then I found Aaron, and he was really panicked. Theo didn't come home on time, and she wasn't picking up her phone. We looked around, for Philip and Angie too, but then we found Theo, unconscious, in a stream. She'd been there for hours, and Burr was really shaken, so I drove them.”  
Eliza paused, taking in the story. If that were true, then John wasn't really to blame.  
“I find it hard to believe Theo would just jump into the water like that. She's a smart child.”  
“I do too, but she might’ve fallen in by accident,” John replied.  
“I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, John, I'm sorry.”  
“No, I forgot to look for them afterwards. Tell Alex I'm sorry too. He must be worried sick.”  
There was a sharp intake of breath on the line, followed by a long silence. John knew what that meant.  
“Don't tell me he didn't come home. Again,” John groaned.  
“No, he's busy with his work. I-”  
“Eliza, he can put aside time for his family. Even though he's my best friend, I can't let him keep doing this. I'll talk to him next time I see him.”  
“Thank you, John.”  
“No problem, Eliza.”  
“I'll check in with you if you aren't here by one o’clock.”  
“Okay. Bye.”  
“Bye.”

* * *

Angie awoke to the click of a door closing. She slowly sat up, trying to figure out why her bed was so uncomfortable. Then she snapped awake, looking around frantically. Philip was still sleeping next to her, his flashlight shining. That was good. At least the bad guys didn't take away him or their comfort light. She thought it was morning, but she couldn't be entirely sure because there weren't any windows. There was a two sandwiches and a pitcher of water along with two glasses. Angie bet Samuel had brought it. She finished her share off in a matter of seconds before shaking Philip awake. They were both famished, having skipped dinner the previous night.  
After they had finished, her brother had an enormous headache and had to lie down. Angie was worried. She couldn't treat head injuries, and her brother’s headaches only got worse. Deciding not to waste any more time, Angie explored some more. This basement really was huge. There had to another exit somewhere. She found a file cabinet in one corner and opened it. There was a whole bunch of names she didn't recognize, but one was labeled Hamilton.  
She pulled out the file and flipped it open, using Philip’s flashlight to read. There were pictures of their family, all labeled. Even their daily habits were listed. When they went to the park and who accompanied them was highlighted. They clearly had been planning this for quite a while, but this part didn't have the reason for their capture. She flipped to the next section.  
There was a whole bunch of letters, written by her father and Reynolds. That was odd. Not because of the fact that they were writing instead of sending emails; writing was her father’s preferred method of communicating, but that her father had been in correspondence with her kidnappers. This reinforced their theory that they were going to blackmail their father. Angie looked over the letters, and her breath caught in her throat. As she read further dread began slowly sinking in. Her father had an affair with a kidnappers wife, Maria. He had paid Reynolds to continue seeing Maria, even to this very day. Her finger brushed over the ink, feeling oddly numb. No wonder he had been late so many nights. A single tear rolled down her cheek and splashed onto the page. He had been betraying their mother. He had been betraying all of them, wrapping them up in his intricate web of lies.  
“What’cha got there, Angie?”  
Angie stuffed the letters into her skirt pocket and handed Philip the folder with the flashlight. Philip admired their father so much he might have a breakdown if he knew. Not the best thing in the middle of an escape. Plus, Angie thought it best if she gave her father a chance to explain himself before blabbing about it. She had been at the bad end of a misunderstanding more times than she could count. Philip looked through the photos thoughtfully.  
“They've been planning this for long time.”  
“Yes, I thought that too,” Angie agreed.  
“Let's keep looking. We might find something else!”  
Angie followed Philip over a table, silently wondering about the letters. She hoped they weren't real, just fabricated by the kidnappers to scare them. Maybe that was it. Maybe her father was blameless.

* * *

Alexander approached his home, whistling a tune. He had finished his work and had a night with Maria, so he was feeling pretty good. He pushed open the gate and entered his house, expecting to see his family nice and happy.  
The house was absolute madness. Dishes were left undone, food was knocked over, and a chair on the ground. Porridge was splattered on the walls, and - was that jello on the ceiling? His initial shock was chased away by the sound of Andy crying. Alexander raced to the living room, hoping everything was alright. Hercules was there, trying to calm an bawling Andy who refused to be pacified. He even knocked the baby bottle Hercules offered him to the floor. Alexander rushed forward and swept Andy into his arms. The child stopped immediately, still hiccuping to show just how upset he had been.  
“Oh, man, thank God you're here,” Hercules sighed.  
“What's going on?” Alexander asked. “Why are you here? Why is Andy crying? Where’s Eliza? Is she okay? Where’s James? Where’s Philip and Angie?”  
Hercules rubbed his eyes in exhaustion, clearly having stayed up late. Eliza had called him at one o’clock in the morning, pleading with him to look after the children. Her tone was so desperate Hercules couldn't refuse.  
“I don't know, man. Eliza wanted me and Peggy to look after James and Andy, but she didn't explain anything.”  
“Not a single thing?!”  
“Hey, I was just called on to do babysitting.”  
“Where’s Peggy?”  
“Upstairs, she's taking care of James.”  
Alexander rushed upstairs to find Peggy sleeping with baby James. James was curled up and one of Peggy’s arms was draped over him. Unfortunately, Alexander didn't have time to appreciate the cuteness and shook her awake. Peggy sat up bleary eyed.  
“Yes?” she yawned.  
“What's going on?” he whisper shouted, trying not to wake the stirring baby.  
“I don't know. I got a phone call in the middle of the night. Eliza asked me to look after James. Where were you?” she asked, voice taking an accusatory tone. Alexander shrank back in guilt. He had been in another woman's bed, but he couldn't admit that.  
“I was working,” he defended. Silently he thanked that it was Peggy and not Angelica. The elder Schuyler sister would see through his lie in an instant.  
“Too busy to notice the messages Eliza left for you?”  
Oops. He flipped open his phone. There were dozens of missed calls. Alexander checked the messages he had purposefully been ignoring. They were all from Eliza, telling him that Philip and Angie were gone. They had searched the park, but found no trace of them. They now were trying to make their case to an uncooperative police officer at the station.  
“Philip and Angie are missing!” he exclaimed. He forgot to keep it down, so James woke and started crying again.  
“What?!” Hercules and Peggy shouted at the same time. Alexander typed out a quick reply, apologizing, saying his phone had been out of battery and that he’d be right there. He pushed Andy into Hercules’ arms and took off, leaving Hercules and Peggy to deal with two crying infants.  
He burst through the door, threw himself into the car, and sped away. The cars that he raced past honked at him angrily, but he kept up the pace until he arrived at the police office. Eliza and John were trying to unsuccessfully convince a stubborn officer that Philip and Angie needed a search party. Eliza’s face was full of desperation and despair. His heart broke at seeing her like this, and he moved closer before Eliza noticed him. Anger came over her features. Alexander knew he was in trouble.  
“Alexander!” her shrill voice made everyone turn their heads. “Where in the world have you been?”  
“In the office,” he lied. “Sorry, my phone ran out of power.”  
“That is no excuse! Our children have gone missing, and you don't even come home! I-"  
Eliza stumbled on her feet, exhausted. Alexander steadied her and lead her over to a couple of vacant chairs. She ripped her arm from his grasp, refusing to be helped, and laid herself down.  
“Eliza, you need to stay calm,” John ordered, by their side in a moment.  
“But-"  
“Working yourself up won’t help Philip or Angie.”  
“Stress isn't good for the baby,” Alexander added unhelpfully. Both of them gave him an icy glare.  
“Alex, after this is over, we need to have a talk about priorities,” John snapped. Relieved at temporarily having gotten off the hook, Alexander turned to the police officer.  
“Now listen here, you ignorant scumbag, my children might be in serious danger and-"  
He froze as he recognized the face. James Reynolds smiled back at him, the very picture of an obedient civil servant.  
“Ahh, yes, Alexander! It has been quite some time since we last saw each other, has it not?”  
“What are you doing here?” Alexander hissed. John’s eyes darted back and forth between them, confused.  
“Do you two know each other?”  
“No!” Alexander denied.  
“Yes,” Reynolds contradicted.  
“I have never met such a conniving person in my life.”  
“It pains me that you have forgotten, Alexander. Have you already moved on with your family? Do you not remember my wife? Your friend?”  
Behind his facade laid the obvious threat. If Alexander pushed to save his children, Reynolds would reveal the affair. John slammed his hands on the table.  
“Of course his family is not okay, you jerk! His children are missing! Are you deaf?”  
“And as I have said before, there is just not enough proof to justify sending an entire search party out. We must wait 24 hours.”  
“A kid, Theo, was found in a stream!”  
“She probably just fell in.”  
“We saw a tree with blood on it!”  
“Coincidental, I’m sure. They’re probably still wandering the forest.”  
“We've already searched the forest!” John shot back, exasperated.  
“Are you sure you didn't miss them?”  
“Of course we are!”  
“Then search again.”  
John turned red, and he looked ready to explode. Alexander put a hand on John’s shoulder. John was prone to murdering people like this; it’s a wonder Reynolds wasn’t dead yet. After a moment John continued in a calmer voice,  
“That is bull and you know it! Let me talk to the chief!”  
“Chief Monroe is not in right now, and guess who's in charge while he's gone?” Reynolds smiled.  
John was about to let out a string of curses before Alexander stopped him.  
“Come on, John.”  
Alexander dragged a protesting John and Eliza out. As soon as they were outside, both adults turned on him.  
“What gives Alex?” John snatched his hand back. “I was just about to lay into him!”  
“He obviously won't listen to us. Fighting will just waste time.”  
It was true. If Reynolds would actually help them get his children back, he would push on regardless of the consequences.  
“You don't want to argue?” Eliza asked, shocked. Alexander picked fights at every opportunity. Alexander shook his head.  
“Not when it involves the fate of my children. Let's go ask Peggy and Lafayette if they can inspect the scene. They're the best detectives I know!”  
“They're the only detectives you know,” Eliza grumbled under her breath. She knew she was acting out, but in her defense she hadn't slept in over 24 hours. John just fixed Alexander with a suspicious look.  
“Are you sure there's nothing you aren't telling us?”  
“I'm sure,” Alexander lied, flicking open his phone. He phoned Lafayette, while Eliza called Peggy.

* * *

Philip scowled, flopping onto a sofa, flashlight in hand. His head throbbed in protest, but he shrugged it off. It wasn't going to help, although they were already in a hopeless situation. They had scoured the basement, yet they had nothing to show for it. Philip had resorted to banging on the door again and shouting before a drunk Lee threatened to shoot them if they didn't shut up.  
“There's no way out,” Philip muttered. “Those guys locked us down here, and we can't escape.”  
“We can't give up,” Angie encouraged, sitting next to him. “We-”  
“There's no escape route. We've tried everything we saw in the movies. Just face it Angie. We’ve hit a dead end.”  
Angie paused, considering. It wouldn't be good for her brother to give up hope. But how to inspire him?  
“Then we'll just have to come up with another way.”  
“Another way?” Philip asked. Angie nodded.  
“Like papa!”  
Philip's eyes lit up.  
“Yeah! Pops always finds a way! He brought a case back to life and won! We can do that too! Then we'll be just as great as him, and everyone will congratulate us!”  
Angie hadn't quite thought that far, but it served its purpose. Philip was energized, running around and peeking into cracks. When she was sure Philip couldn't see her she sighed and curled up. She couldn't handle much more of this. She needed her mother to hug her and reassure her that everything was going to be alright.

* * *

Eliza couldn't handle much more of this. It had been a torturous week. Her children had gone missing, and they hadn’t found anymore clues. The gun that they had recovered from the crime scene had no fingerprints on it, the blood under the damaged tree had been confirmed as Philip’s, and by the time Monroe decided to send a search party out, the attacker’s were long gone.  
Thankfully, her friends had been helping her through this, taking care of her children and encouraging her. Without them, Eliza was sure she would’ve broken. She wanted to believe their words, that Philip and Angie were fine, they were together and safe, but there was no way to be sure. Tears slipped down her cheeks and she drew her knees closer to her chest. They had to be okay.

* * *

“Philip, don't do this,” Angie begged. Philip ignored her. Armed with a screwdriver they had found on the floor and his flashlight, he crouched in front of the door. The predictable footsteps came closer and Philip adjusted his grip. If they could beat whoever delivered food to them, then they could make a last ditch escape attempt through the front door. Angie was just too concerned with others well being. He needed to be the tough one here.  
The familiar beeping as the kidnapper unlocked the door warned them. Philip licked his dry lips, ready for a taste of freedom.  
The door opened a fraction and Philip lunged. Samuel made a sound of surprise and dropped the tray, unprepared for Philip's vicious attack. Philip landed on top of Samuel, but the older man caught Philip's screwdriver arm. They struggled, Philip waving the flashlight around wildly, before Charles stomped down the stairs. Upon seeing their captive trying to skewer his partner in crime, Charles roared. He hauled Philip off and threw him back into the basement, standing over his body.  
“No!”  
Angie grabbed onto Charles leg in an attempt to slow him down, but he was so infuriated he didn’t even notice her. All he saw was the trouble making boy, scuttling backwards, trying to get away from him. Charles was going to tear him limb from limb.  
Luckily, Samuel intervened.  
“Charles, it's okay! Don't hurt them!”  
These words finally made it past the haze of rage, and Charles stopped. Samuel held on to his arm.  
“But Sammy, he-”  
“I know, but I'm not hurt, see?” Samuel let go and spread his arms out as if to prove it to him. “So could you let them go? For me?”  
Charles took a deep breath and nodded, letting go of his anger. Samuel was the one that was almost hurt, after all, so if he didn’t want to hurt them then Charles wouldn't. Still, these kids needed to learn some manners.  
“You go upstairs first, Sammy.”  
“Charles!”  
“It's okay. I won't hurt them.” Samuel still looked unsure, but obeyed, leaving them to the mercy of Charles. He kicked Angie off his foot, slamming her against the sofa. She let go, curling into a ball to suffer the beating.  
“Angie!”  
Philip tried to stand, but his head throbbed so painfully he couldn't sit up it was like Charles had bashed his head all over again. Even so, he struggled to his feet, swaying where he stood.  
“Cool it kid,” Charles sneered, finally stopping. “I just need to tell your sister something.”  
Charles bent down and grabbed a handful of her hair, forcing her to face him.  
“I know your brother's brainless, but I thought you'd be smarter,” Charles snarled. “I don't care if you kill Reynolds, in fact, I welcome it. By if you  
hurt Sammy again, nothing will stop me from killing you. Understand?”  
Angie gave a weak whimper of agreement. Charles let her go, and she lay limp on the basement floor. He left them there, nursing their wounds, hungry, and scared. Angie stared hopelessly at the ceiling. Would they ever escape?

* * *

Aaron was a very sensible person. Anyone could tell you that. But the one exception to this rule was the Theodosias. He had eloped Theodosia Sr, who was married to a known criminal, and almost died from starvation when she died. This week alone, Aaron had refused to move from her daughter’s bedside despite the nurses begging. All he could do was hold his daughter’s hand and cry.  
“She’ll wake up soon, Aaron.”  
Aaron raised his head. It was a new nurse, with flowing blonde hair and a dark skin. An odd combination, but she was very pretty, with Peggy's baby face. She gave him a reassuring smile.  
“Her vitals are good, and the doctor says she’ll wake up any minute.”  
Even though he already knew that, Aaron felt immeasurably better being told that again.  
“Can I get you anything? Juice? Water?”  
It struck Aaron how dry his throat felt.  
“Water, please,” Aaron croaked out. The nurse nodded and headed towards the door. He was suddenly struck by a thought. “Wait.”  
The nurse turned back smiling.  
“Yes?”  
“How did you know my name?”  
Was it his imagination, or did her smile become fixed?  
“I’m a nurse. I have to know all my patients names.”  
“Ah,” Aaron said, feeling more than a little stupid. “What’s your name?”  
“Maria. Maria Lewis.”

* * *

The flashlight flickered. Philip sighed, knowing this argument was going to be a hard one.  
“Angie, I think we have to turn the flashlight off.”  
Angie's head popped out behind the sofa, eyes wide with fear. She hated the dark, always had, and required a nightlight to go to sleep, while Philip had no such qualms. This was one of the only things they ever fought about.  
Since they arrived here, Philip let Angie have her way, but now light was a precious resource. They couldn't just use it to scare off imaginary demons.  
“Why?” Angie asked.  
“We're running out of power.”  
“No we aren't.”  
Philip glared at Angie. Could she not see it dimming?  
“Yes we are.”  
“No we aren't.”  
“Yes we are!”  
“No!”  
“Yes!”  
“No!”  
Philip took a breath, trying to get his temper under control.  
“I'm going to turn it off right now!”  
Philip moved to switch it off, but Angie barreled over the sofa and grabbed it. She pulled, but Philip held on.  
“Angie, we have to!”  
“No! I don't want to!”  
“Then we'll have to live in the darkness forever!”  
“No!”  
Angie ripped it out of Philip's hands. It was so unexpected, however, that she accidentally let go of it. The flashlight flew across the room, landing under a sofa. Both the siblings made a sound of distress.  
Philip made his way over and lay flat on his stomach, trying to reach the source of the light. It was just out of his reach. Angie tried next, but her arm was too short.  
“Damn, damn!” Philip cursed. Their mother forbade them from using words like that, but it hardly mattered now.  
“Philip, I feel a handle under here.”  
“So what?” Philip raged. “We lost our light! This is all your fault!”  
Angie shrank back. Even though Philip knew she was distressed and sorry already, he didn't stop.  
“If you didn't need light, or fight with me over it, then we could have saved light. Now neither of us have it! I hope your happy now! You just lost our only chance of getting out of here!”  
Tears started falling down Angie's cheeks. Philip, not wanting to see it, marched to the other side of the room and sat down in a huff. It was her fault! If Angie hadn't done that, then they could have saved power.  
Faint sniffles came from across the room. Philip could feel an overbearing sadness mixed with deep rooted guilt, but he pushed it away. This was all Angie’s fault, after all.  
“Philip, I'm sorry.”  
Angie’s voice was wet with tears. Despite himself, Philip felt sorry and a little guilty too. He didn't have to be so mean about it. He was well aware of Angie's fears. Maybe if he had just talked her through it, then they could have agreed. Yet he still didn't say anything.  
Angie's sniffles blew into large sobs. Philip peeked around a cabinet to see Angie, lying on the ground and crying her eyes out. He got up and went to her. She cried into his arms. What kind of a brother was he, to make his sister so upset? He pulled her into a hug.  
“I'm sorry too,” he whispered. They sat there for what seemed like an eternity before they slipped into the realms of sleep.

* * *

When Angie woke, all was quiet. Philip was still sleeping soundly. She got up and rubbed her eyes, wincing as she remembered their argument. Philip was right. They did need light.  
Angie withdrew from her brother and peeked under the sofa, where the flashlight had flicked out. A sound of loss came from her throat. If only those evil creatures didn’t come out at night, then she would be alright. Philip and her mother told her they didn’t exist, but it did nothing to calm her nerves.  
Then Angie reached for the handle. It was a trapdoor, and maybe another escape route. But the sofa blocked it from opening, and the sofa was too heavy to move. Angie retreated, defeated, and moved back to her brother.  
Philip always looked calmer when he was asleep. His bright eyes were shut and his smile was replaced with a small frown. It didn't look good on him. Angie observed the freckles on Philip's skin, wondering not for the first time where they came from. Their father had a few, but Philip skin was overflowing with those little specks. As Angie sat there watching her sleeping brother, a thought struck her. She shook him awake.  
“What is it Angie?” Philip yawned.  
“How can we still see?”  
Philip’s eyes flashed open, wide awake in an instant. It was true. Even without the flashlight, there was the slightest bit of light. The source was peeking out behind a closet. Together, they managed to push it away. It was a window. Both of them stared, as if in a trance. Then they came to their senses. It was too high up for them to reach, so they grabbed the toppled chair and put it underneath.  
Philip pried it open, giving them their first breath of fresh air in a long time. Angie climbed up beside him, and they gazed at the outside. Grown grass led up to a dark forest. Crickets chirped, adding to the nighttime litany. They had always taken the beautiful world for granted, but now even a glimpse was enough to have tears roll down their cheeks.  
“Philip-”  
“I know! We can escape! There really was a way out!”  
They held each other close as they cried again. They could get back to their mother! No longer did they have to live in the dark and dirty basement!  
When the moon rose, Philip scrambled out, then offered his sister a hand. She accepted, climbing out of the dark basement and into the soft moonlight. She fell onto the soft grass. There was no greater feeling than feeling nature surround her. Now that she could see better, she realized that she was absolutely filthy. Rolling around in that basement had practically destroyed her clothes. It was doubtful if they could ever be clean again.  
Suddenly a spike of fear shot through Angie. She turned to see her brother paling, staring at the window. Samuel stared back, shock colouring his features. No one moved. Then Samuel took a deep breath.  
“Charles! The children are out!”  
Philip grabbed Angie and took off for the forest. They ripped through the woods at a speed they had never achieved before, adrenaline coursing through their systems. Behind them, they could hear Charles’ deep breathing and cursing, only encouraging them to run faster. They ran for what seemed like miles, cuts increasing in number as they brushed through sharp branches.  
Philip was faster than Angie, but she paid attention to Charles’ steps. When he was right behind them, Angie grabbed her brother and snapped to the side, barely avoiding Charles’ swipe. She slid down a slope, brother following. With any luck, Charles would decide to go around.  
After a couple of minutes, Angie’s eyebrows furrowed. Something was wrong. Charles was still chasing them, but he didn't seem nearly as angry as she'd thought he'd be. It felt like they were running into a trap.  
Just as the thought came to her, Samuel leapt out of the darkness and blocked their path. Philip put on the brakes, but Angie tripped. Samuel bent down and grabbed her hair, effectively stopping her movements. It twisted, and pain tickled her scalp.  
“Let her go!”  
There was a sound of pain, and then Samuel's unforgiving grip loosened. Angie scrambled to her feet and saw Samuel backing away, blood running down one side of his face. Philip held a long stick that he had snatched from the ground. He dropped it and switched his attention to his sister.  
“Are you okay?”  
Angie nodded, but then they heard the heavy footsteps of Charles and started running again.  
“Sammy? Sammy!”  
There was a bellow of fury, and Charles started chasing them with twice the vigor than he had previously. Only by utilizing their small frames and weaving through the dark forest did they avoid being caught.  
They only slowed when they were sure they had lost Charles. Philip and Angie fell over, exhausted, heedless of their wounds. Angie felt as though she couldn't get enough air into her lungs, and lay, wheezing. Then a grin split over Philip’s face.  
“We got away.”  
“We did,” Angie agreed, winded. “Let’s rest a while.”  
“Yeah.”

* * *

John wandered down the street. A feeling of guilt and loss pervaded his heart with every step. How could he have lost them? Philip and Angie appeared in front of him, phantoms from his mind. He wanted to hug them and apologize. Instead he walked past. He had this fantasy that they would just appear on their doorstep, all smiles, and be perfectly fine. It wasn’t likely.  
What made it worse is that he could tell Alexander was hiding something from him. He hid all the mail he picked up and read it in his study. John couldn't blame him. After all, John had managed to lose his children. He couldn’t do anything to make it better. John stopped and stared at the sky, whispering a silent prayer for Philip and Angie.  
Shaking his head, he continued on. He had never believed in some higher power, and he wasn't going to start now.  
“Young man, would you like to buy something?”  
It was an old guy, with a bristling moustache and a balding head. His glasses looked like they were going to fall off.  
“No,” John said, walking past. These people were everywhere, selling cheap goods for massive prices. The best thing to do was just ignore them. The old man followed him.  
“Oh, come on! How about a little trinket for your girlfriend?”  
John turned around and snapped, “I don't-”  
Then his eyes caught the flash of blue. Angie's hairpin. She had worn it the day of the disappearance. John reached for it.  
“I see this has caught your eye!”  
“Where did you get this?” John asked in a deceptively calm voice.  
“Now, now, I can't reveal my sources,” the old man chuckled. “But I assure you it is of the highest quality!”  
John grabbed his collar and lifted him up, anger blazing in his eyes.  
“Tell me unless you want to land yourself in the hospital.”  
“I just found it on the street!”  
John dropped him, and he landed butt first. John towered over the older man.  
“Where?”  
“Right there!”  
He was pointing to the intersection of Mercer street and Houston. John flicked open his phone and called Lafayette, watching the old man scamper off.  
“Laf? I have some information.”

* * *

Angie and Philip limped through the woods. Philip was getting progressively worse, barely managing to stay on his feet. His head was killing him. Angie looked on worriedly, but Philip only gave her a reassuring smile. They had been walking for the whole day, and now that the moon was setting, Philip was ready to faint. Still they pressed on, not wanting to risk the idea of being caught again.  
Thankfully, the moon was full and bright, lighting their path. Otherwise, they would trip over the roots that sprouted out of the ground. It was almost midnight by the time Angie spotted some lights. The ground became concrete, and trees walls. Cars flashed past the gap into the street, honking incessantly. It was a city.  
“Philip, look up! We're back!”  
Philip made no response, just sagging to the ground. Angie was by his side in an instant. She detected an explosion of pain through their mental link.  
“Philip? Philip?”  
He groaned and made no answer.  
Philip needed help. Angie wildly looked around, but no one was there. Panic rose into her throat. She needed Philip to help her. To tell her what to do.  
“Philip, please wake up,” Angie pleaded. Philip didn’t respond. Angie began to cry. This caught the attention of a passerby, who stopped, squinting into the gap.  
“Is someone there?” he called.  
Angie hesitated. On one hand, Philip clearly needed help, and this stranger was her only hope. But what if he turned out to be like Samuel? What if, as soon as she spoke, she would be locked back up with no way to escape? A blast of pain came through their link again, and Angie started seeing stars. If she was feeling like this, then she couldn’t imagine what Philip must be going through.  
If this stranger was another kidnapper, fine, that could be dealt with later. This man could be the difference between Philip’s life or death. Even if they ended up in a worse situation she at least needed to try. Angie jumped up and latched on to the stranger’s magenta coat.  
“Mister, please help my brother!”

* * *

“Laf!”  
Peggy burst into Lafayette’s apartment without so much as a knock. Used to his colleagues antics, Lafayette paused his movie and turned to her. Peggy wouldn’t stop until you heard her out.  
“Oui?”  
“Guess what I found!”  
“Information?” Lafayette guessed. Peggy stopped flailing around and pouted.  
“Aww. You’re too good at this Laf.”  
The frenchman chuckled.  
“Anyways, you know how you talked to me about the hairpin, right?”  
“Oui.”  
“I accessed the video tapes from last week, and do you know what I found? I found the car the hairpin dropped out of!”  
Lafayette jumped up, reaching for his phone.  
“Excellent! Alexandre will be happy to hear!”  
“That’s not all though!”  
Lafayette stopped, wanting to hear the rest of the story. Peggy stories and conspiracy theories were always fascinating to listen to, though not always right. Lafayette had learned that the hard way.  
“It didn’t have a valid number, but I cross examined it against some criminal’s, and guess who I got?”  
“Who?” Lafayette asked, lost. Peggy rolled her eyes.  
“You know the case Alexander’s been worked on? King’s?”  
Lafayette did remember. King was a notorious criminal, responsible for many crimes, and owned a drug business. The police department had lost many good officers collecting data on him. Currently, King was on trial, though all the witnesses and evidence mysteriously disappeared before they could be used against him. This frustrated Alexander greatly, as he was the lawyer who was prosecuting him.  
“Would King be so clumsy?”  
“No, but Lee is thought to be only remotely connected to King, through one of his general’s. We couldn’t get anything on him. Now we have video evidence of him kidnapping the prosecution’s children. This could turn the tide!”  
“But why does King go after his children?” Lafayette asked thoughtfully. “Why not Alexander?”  
“See, that’s what I thought too!” Peggy agreed. “But then I realized that even if they got him kicked out, there’s hundreds of other lawyers out there who are dying to take King’s case! Wouldn’t it be smarter to blackmail Alexander into messing up? Washington would never force him off!”  
“You are right! But why did Alexandre not tell us?”  
“I don’t know,” Peggy admitted. “But it does make a lot of sense.”  
“It does,” Lafayette agreed. “Perhaps we will ask him.”

* * *

“Going okay?”  
Aaron nodded. Maria and him had become friends, of sorts. She delivered food and water to him, even once coaxing him into freshening up a bit while she watched over Theo.  
“She’ll wake up soon, Aaron.”  
“I know.”  
Aaron squeezed Theo’s hand. She had to wake up. If she died, then Aaron would be left alone in this cruel, heartless world. Theo twitched and groaned slightly, as if reacting to her father’s thoughts.  
“Theo?” Aaron stood up. “I’m here Theo, don’t worry.”  
Maria was silent, watching their exchange with a sharp eye. Her expression didn’t betray her in the slightest, but she didn’t look happy.  
“Her brain waves are different. She’ll wake up soon. I’ll go tell the doctor.”  
She stepped out and took a deep breath. Her phone buzzed, and she checked the message. It was from her boyfriend.

Kill the kid if she wakes up.

Maria peeked back into the room where Aaron was crying over the limp body. Maria felt a wave of guilt. Aaron trusted her so, and yet she was going to have to betray him in the worst way. Maria suppressed the side of good in her. This was all for James. She put the phone back in her pocket and went to get the doctor.

* * *

“The boy will be alright.”  
Thomas let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding as the doctor finished his examination. He was worried that the boy’d be seriously injured, but it seemed everything was alright. The doctor gave the boy a furtive glance before saying,  
“Where’d you find these kids?”  
“None of your business,” Thomas responded. The doctor winced. Had that been too harsh? “Look, I don’t want to talk about it.”  
The doctor’s face lit up.  
“Oh, it’s fine. I would completely understand if, after so long you would want to climb into another woman's bed.”  
Thomas flushed from head to toe, not only at the embarrassment of having two random kids being mistaken for his, but anger at the idea that he would cheat on his dead wife.  
“Get out,” he ordered. Something in his expression must’ve scared the doctor, since he rushed out without so much as a goodbye.  
He heard the quick patter of feet, and suddenly Sally and the other girl were rushing past him. He had asked Sally to help her into the bath and a new outfit, since she was absolutely filthy, but the girl had been so reluctant to leave her brother they had to bodily drag her out. Now, the girl leapt into her brother’s bed and shook him.  
“Leave him alone,” Thomas ordered. Shaking him could only aggravate his wound. The girl didn’t seem to hear him.  
“Softer,” Sally advised. She always told him when his tone was too sharp, but this didn’t seem like the time for that. He took a deep breath.  
“Your brother will be fine. My personal doctor just looked at him.”  
The girl finally stopped and looked at Thomas. Something about her seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place what. Sally tried to pick her up, but the girl obstinately struggled until she was allowed to lay next to her brother. Thomas had been ready to question her, but she instantly crashed. How could she be so trusting, as to fall asleep right away?  
Sally and him quietly left the room, so as not to wake them up. He had learned from previous experience that If your interrupted a child's naptime, they would start weeping. If there was anything Thomas could not stand, it was crying.  
“So, what d’you think?” Thomas asked.  
“The girl was quiet, but well behaved after I promised that she could see her brother after.”  
Thomas nodded, but he couldn’t see how that was of any significance. Sally continued,  
“I found these in her pockets when I went to wash her clothes.” Sally’s lips pinched together. “They’re… disturbing.”  
“Hmm?” Thomas read the first letter and almost choked. “Hamilton had an affair?”  
He could feel the smile spread over his face. This would ruin him. Thomas rifled through the papers, looking for anything more incriminating. He had been cheating on his wife for years, and paying her husband? This was golden. He had thought Hamilton was only embezzling. Then he came to the obvious issue.  
“Why would kids be carrying this?”  
Sally shook her head.  
“I don’t know.”  
Thomas twirled his cane thinking. Under normal circumstances, he would call Madison and ask him. But this was in no way normal. Two kids that just happened to be carrying dirt on his political rival? This smelled like a set up. Still...  
“Put these away,” Thomas said, shoving the papers into her hands.  
“Should I call Madison?” Sally asked. Thomas shook his head.  
“He can’t help right now, and I’m not going to call him in the middle of the night.”  
“What about the police?”  
Thomas glared at her, amazed at her stupidity.  
“If these are real and they’ve got dirt on one of the most influential lawyers in the world, do you think the police are going to be able to protect them?”  
“As you wish.”  
Sally curtsied before hurrying away. Thomas regretted his sharp words. If the police couldn’t protect them, then who was to believe he could? Plus, as incorrigible as Hamilton was, Thomas couldn’t picture him going out and murdering children. Which bagged the question: who were these kids?

* * *

Everyone was gathered in the Hamilton’s living room, faces grave. Hercules rocked James in his arms, and Andy slept against him. Eliza held her stomach, as she had been having pains from the baby. Alexander touched her shoulder, concern lacing his features. "Do you want to go to a doctor?" he asked worriedly. Eliza shook her head. Not until after this meeting. She needed yo be brefied with the investigation, otherwise she wouldn't feel she'd done enough. John sat opposite them, watching this whole exchange. Then Peggy and Lafayette came in and Alexander stood up.  
“Do you have anything?” Alexander practically begged. Peggy nodded, motioning for him to sit down. He did, albeit reluctantly.  
“We are gathered here today to discuss some new updates,” Peggy started. “We found the car, thanks to John’s advice, and we found the house Charles Lee owned.”  
“I always knew that trashbag wasn’t to be trusted,” Alexander muttered, fist clenching.  
“The thing is, we turned that place upside down, only to find out that he hadn’t been there for weeks. So we’ve hit a dead end.”  
Everyone let out a collective groan, and Eliza broke down crying.  
“Isn’t there something else you can do?” Alexander exploded.  
“Alexander!” Eliza scolded.  
“No but you can,” Peggy shot back, determined.  
“What?” Alexander asked caught off guard.  
“You have the King case, oui?” Lafayette asked. Alexander nodded belatedly, expression that of a cornered animal.  
“Is that why Philip and Angie were kidnapped? They wanted you to throw the trial?”  
Alexander swallowed and nodded, out of words.  
“That was what you weren’t telling us?” John’s expression was almost murderous. Hercules stood, prepared to jump in if necessary.  
“Yes,” Alexander whispered.  
“Don’t you trust me Alex?”  
“I do, but-”  
“Then you should’ve told me!” John shouted over him, anger colouring his features. “I thought you trusted me!”  
“All of us are upset, John,” Eliza said.  
“I don't care! He should've at least told me! I thought-” Tears started to stain his cheeks. “I thought you were keeping it from me because I messed up!”  
“What?” Alexander asked, shocked. Hercules took John’s hand and led him, weeping out of the room. Only Lafayette’s and Eliza’s combined efforts kept Alexander down.  
“John, I don't understand!”  
Peggy leaned over Alexander, face more serious than Alexander had ever seen it.  
“Alexander, who is Lee with now?”  
“I don’t-John!”  
“Focus! Don’t you care about them?”  
Alexander swallowed.  
“Reynolds. Just let me go!”  
Lafayette finally released him, and Alexander bolted out of the room.  
“Reynolds.” Peggy began tapping her phone. “Okay, I got a location.”  
“Let’s go!”

* * *

That morning, Thomas had been planning to eat breakfast with the girl and get some information out of her. Unfortunately, even Sally couldn’t get her to move, so Thomas ended up sitting awkwardly in a chair in the bedroom, plate in his hands. The girl ate the food so fast he was surprised she didn’t choke, but she only finished half of her plate.  
“Aren’t you going to finish?” Thomas asked. He hated it when people were picky. The girl shook her head.  
“Pip needs it.”  
Thomas felt a stab of guilt. On second glance, she had ate half of everything, including the vegetables. He had so quickly assumed she was just picky when it turned out she was saving it for her unconcious brother, Pip. She was clearly hungry, but she chose to starve and wait. Amazing self control.  
“Sally will make more when he wakes up. Finish your food.”  
The girl did, although she required three promises before she started. Thomas wondered what kind of a background she had, needing promises for food. When she finally finished, she said,  
“Mister-”  
“Thomas.”  
Her face scrunched up, but she continued,  
“Thomas, thank you for helping my brother and feeding me.”  
“It’s fine. What’s your name?”  
The girl appeared deep in thought, fighting a mental battle that Thomas didn’t understand. Wasn’t it just a name?  
“Angie.”  
“Last name?”  
“Angie.”  
“So your name is Angie Angie?”  
“Yes.”  
Thomas groaned. She was either too stupid to remember her own name, or she was intentionally lying to him. Thomas believed the latter, but switched to another line of questioning.  
“Okay, Angie, what were those letters in your pockets?”  
Angie’s face instantly fell, and her hand went towards where her pocket would have been, if she hadn’t changed the previous night. So she did know what she was carrying.  
“What are you going to do?” Angie asked, voice trembling.  
“Nothing, for now.” What was she so scared about? It wasn’t as if it were her hide on the line.  
“Please don’t tell,” she begged.  
“I won’t,” Thomas promised, crossing his fingers behind his back. “If you tell me where you got those.”  
“A basement. In a drawer.”  
Thomas’ eyebrows furrowed. What was she talking about?  
“Whose basement?”  
Angie started shaking, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Sally came in, right on time, and started comforting the little girl as Thomas took the opportunity to slip out. It didn’t sound like a lie. Could it have been Hamilton’s basement? If so, how did Angie even get in there? And why was she so scared?  
Thomas walked up the steps, can clicking against the floor, and approached the enormous portrait of him, and his deceased parents. He was only ten in this frame, his youthfulness forever immortalized. As Thomas touched it, a smile spread across his face. He was so happy in this picture. Maybe that was why he was so eager to help the children; to save another smile. He pushed the portrait to the side, revealing a safe. After a fingerprint scanner and face recognition, the safe opened. The letters lying there, safe and sound. He picked them up, saffe closing automatically behind him. The wonders of technology. Even upon rereading them, there were no clues given. Hamilton never mentioned the mistress or her husband by name, perhaps preparing for the possibility that he had gotten ahold of these letters. Not for the first time, Thomas began cursing Hamilton’s intellect.  
“Thomas?” Sally approached him, phone in hand. “Washington wants to know where you are.”  
“Tell him I’m busy.”  
Thomas rarely missed a day of work, save the days he was sick, but this was something new. Exciting. Now that he had gotten a taste, he needed to get to the bottom of this. Sally had a quick exchange with whoever was on the other line.  
“He’s mentioning something about a king.”  
Thomas groaned. Hamilton, the nonstop immigrant, was assigned this all important criminal, then took off when it was reaching its climax. Thomas had been unceremoniously shoved into the position, dumped with information, and left to sort out Alexander’s mess of a case. Well, he wasn’t going to be pushed around by Hamilton’s almost father anymore.  
“Tell him to get someone else to it. I’m sick.”  
Thomas made his way down to his study, letters in hand and a million questions in his mind.

* * *

“Why do we not simply break his door?” Lafayette asked, pointing at Reynolds house.  
“Because it’s against protocol, and he’ll use it against us if we go to court,” Peggy explained. “Don’t forget he’s a cop too. Be prepared for anything.”  
Lafayette knocked loudly. They waited in trepidation as footsteps approached, and the sound of a lock being undone. A man with blonde hair and a childish face greeted them. He had a patch over one eye, almost like a pirate.  
“Hello! What brings you here today?”  
“We’re police. Can we search your house?”  
“Police?” His face went ashen. “This isn’t my house.”  
“You are not James Reynolds?” Lafayette inquired.  
“No, I’m Samuel Seabury. Let me get Reynolds for you.” Samuel promptly dashed out.  
“Well, I was not expecting that,” Lafayette muttered.  
“Me either. Just stay on your toes. Seabury is also connected to King.”  
Lafayette’s eyebrows rose, but before he could get a question out, a man in a hat appeared.  
“I’m Reynolds. What do you need?”  
“Well, we were hoping to search your house.”  
Reynolds cocked his head to the side.  
“Do you have a search warrant?”  
“Well, no, but, we were hoping, as a fellow officer you would-”  
“No. Come back when you’ve got a warrant.”  
He slammed the door in their faces.  
“It was worth a shot,” Lafayette offered as they walked, defeated, back in their car.  
“Yes, but now we have to call a judge,” Peggy said sadly. “And they take ages.”  
“Leave it to me, I know one.”  
Peggy’s head snapped up. “You do?”  
“Yup.”  
Lafayette took out his cell phone and dialed Judge John André.  
“Hello, André speaking,”  
“Bonjour!”  
“Lafayette? We haven’t talked in ages.”  
“Oui, but I want to ask.”  
“Ask what?”  
“I need a warrant to search a house.”  
There was a long pause on the other end, so long Lafayette began to suspect he had hung up.  
“You called me for this?”  
“Oui.”  
There was a sigh on the other end.  
“Okay, but no favouring. I need to do my job right.”  
“Oui. You know King’s trial, oui?”  
“Who doesn’t?”  
“The prosecution is Alexandre.”  
“Okay, I’m not seeing what this has to do with anything.”  
“His eldest two children were kidnapped. We think that one of King’s friends did it, but we need a warrant to see.”  
“How about evidence?”  
“We have a picture of a car.”  
“Is the car in the garage?”  
Lafayette turned to Peggy, setting it on speakerphone.  
“There’s no windows, we can’t tell. And there’s not many security cameras around here either.”  
“Anything else?”  
“Non.”  
“Then I’m sorry to say that I can’t help you.”  
“But you see the connection, non?”  
“I do, but there’s simply not enough evidence. Listen, I can do it, but I’m not going to give it to you just because you asked.”  
“But-”  
“Bye.”  
André hung up.  
“Jerk,” Peggy muttered.  
“André is doing his job,” Lafayette defended.  
“He didn’t give us the warrant.”  
“Because we did not have enough evidence!”  
Peggy grumbled, sitting back in her seat.  
“Do we have anything else?” Lafayette pondered aloud.  
“Yes, an unconscious witness,” Peggy mumbled. Lafayette whipped around.  
“I heard Theo woke up.”  
Peggy sat straight up,  
“She has?”  
“Oui!”  
“Then what are we waiting for?”  
Peggy gunned the motor, and they took off.

* * *

Theo had woken up early that morning. Aaron was overjoyed, more relieved than ever before. Theo was recovering. It was going to be alright.  
“Okay, do you think you can handle one last injection?” Maria asked. Theo nodded, holding out her arm, wincing as needle pierced the skin. The clear liquid slid in, and Maria quickly patched it up. The look on her face could only be described as one the has made a decision they would soon regret.  
“Miss Maria, don’t be sad,” Theo said, patting her head. “It’ll be okay.”  
Maria gave Theo a sad smile.  
“You need anything?” Aaron asked, ever the doting parent. “Food? A drink?”  
“No,” Theo yawned. “Actually, I’m feeling a bit sleepy. I think I’m going to take a nap.”  
“That’s alright, Theo. I’ll be right here waiting.”  
Theo nodded, gripping her father’s hand before falling asleep. Maria watched on from afar. If only she could have what they had, unconditional love. She checked her watch. Alexander’s friends should be arriving soon. She’d best leave.  
Maria turned to leave, but Alexander and his friends stood in the hallway. They had gotten here earlier than expected. She must have underestimated their care for their for their friend. A pregnant woman caught her eye. That must be Alexander's wife. Alexander couldn't stop talking about her, even when they were in bed together. They rushed in, all smiles, and started celebrating Theo’s awakening, despite Aaron's insistence that Theo needed her rest. Two officers were also there, half cheering and half questioning. A faint smile touched Maria's lips. What she wouldn't give to be apart of that group.  
Alexander spotted her out of the corner of his eye and paled. He excused himself from his wife and slid over to her inconspicuously.  
“What are you doing here?” Alexander hissed. He didn't give her a chance to answer. “Don't you were to try to tell my my wife about our relationship. We have nothing, you understand me? Nothing.”  
“I wasn't-” Maria began to protest, but Alexander talked right over her.  
“And don't you dare harm Theo. She's our only lead to Philip and Angie. Then again, it was your husband that kidnapped them. Maybe you were trying to kill her. I want to warn you now, I will make your life a living hell if you do. So get out and stay out of my sight, you understand me?”  
Maria obediently backed out, thankful that Alexander even gave her the chance to leave. As soon as she turned the corner, she whipped out her phone and reread James’ message. Had she made the right choice?  
The group was so loud, she could still hear them, celebrating wildly. She pressed her ear against the wall, trying to listen in.  
“Yeah! Let's go out for drinks man! Theo will be the star of the night!”  
“She's only a child!” Aaron argued back. Maria could picture him hovering over Theo, protective. Maria couldn't help but smile. No matter what, she wouldn't regret her choice.  
There was no turning back. She pressed on the message.  
Delete?  
Yes.

**Author's Note:**

> This is what I think Angie and Philip would look like. I do not own either of these drawings.
> 
> https://pen-blotch.deviantart.com/art/Laurens-743226319  
> https://giovani13.deviantart.com/art/Yellow-Hamilton-745180181


End file.
